ITLF fumes after FIR lodged against Kuki intellectuals
Source: Chronicle News Service
Imphal, July 08 2023:
Indigenous Tribal Leaders' Forum (ITLF) has expressed dismay over the Flits lodged against two Ku-ki-Zo leaders/intellectual (or their comments in the media in connection with the ethnic violence in Manipur.
Ina release, ITLF stated that Imphal East chief judicial mag-istrate issued notices to Kuki Women's Forum convenor Mary Grace Zou, Kuki People's Alliance co- founder Wilson L Hangsing and Hyderabad Uni-versity Head of Department of Political Science Professor Kham Khan Suan Hausing, based on complaints by people claiming to be social workers.
The accusations, which come under various sections of the Indian Penal Code, are clearly an attempt to silence tribals who are speaking on behalf of their community.
It is an attack on their right to freedom of speech and is meant to sup-press the voice of the Kuki-Zo tribals, who are witnessing an unprecedented threat to their existence from an unrelent-ing state-sponsored pogrom, it alleged, while adding that the N Biren-led government, supported by radical outfits like the Arambai Tenggol and Meetei Leepun, controls the police and the media.
Voiceless Kuki-Zo tribals in the hills des-perately need intellectuals and their leaders to express their concerns and tell their side of the story to the outside world, the release maintained.
Legally entangling every prominent tribal who speaks out on television is a repre-hensible tactic to silence the voice, the forum contended, while mentioning that ITLF's official Twitter account was also suspended.
Trying to stifle the voice on every platform demonstrates desperation of the Meitei organisations in their effort to block the true nature of the conflict in Manipur, the release added.